Mariette
by Pt29646
Summary: In the Bonanza episode, Badge Without Honor, we meet Mariette, a young woman who became part of the Cartwright family after her father died. This story offers one possibility of when and how that came about.
1. Chapter 1

Mariette DuPont stood staring down at her father's grave. Ben and Marie Cartwright were on either side of her. "Come, ma cherie, it is time to leave." Marie took the young girl's hand, and led her away to the Cartwright's buggy. Ben lifted the child into the back of the buggy, and Marie climbed up beside her. She put her arm around Mariette, and pulled her close. Ben climbed into the front and slapped the back of the horse with the reins as they headed towards the Ponderosa.

Mariette noticed the direction they took. "Aren't you taking me home?"

"Oui, ma cherie, we are taking you home with us." Marie tried to reassure her.

"But my home is the Lazy R, not the Ponderosa, Mr. Cartwright." Mariette was surprised she had to point it out to him.

Ben stopped the buggy and turned around. "Sweetheart, your father and I were friends for a long time, and he and I decided that if anything happened to either one of us, the other one would raise his children. You will come home with me and become part of my family now."

Mariette stared at him for a few seconds, and then began sobbing. Marie held her close, and nodded to Ben to drive on. By the time they reached the Ponderosa, Mariette had cried herself to sleep. Marie eased her down to Ben who carried her inside.

Hop Sing saw them coming and opened the door. Marie went ahead of Ben to Mariette's bedroom. It was across from the baby's room, near Ben and Marie, so that Marie could hear her if she called out in the night. Marie turned down the covers, and Ben laid Mariette down on the bed. Marie nodded for him to go as she began to unbutton Mariette's shoes.

Ben went to the room he and Marie shared, and changed clothes before going back downstairs. As he passed Mariette's door, he saw that Marie had closed it. Adam, Hoss, and Joe were waiting for him in the great room. "Hello, boys." As he looked at them, he thought of a father who would no longer be able to hold his child, and he put his arms around Adam and Hoss.

Normally shy of displays of affection, Adam recognized his father's need and returned his hug. "How was it, Pa?" he asked.

"Sad, as you may imagine." Ben released his older sons and sat down in his leather chair. Two year old Joe climbed up in his lap. Ben cuddled him. "Were you good for Adam today, little man?"

Joe smiled sweetly at him and nodded. "Me dood."

Ben laughed. "You're a rascal." He looked up at Adam. "How did things go here today, son?"

Adam sat down across from him. "Pretty well, I guess. How's Mariette?"

Ben shook his head. "She's very upset. She's lost her father, and her home. Marie and I didn't realize that she didn't understand that she was going to live here with us. She cried herself to sleep on the way home. Marie's upstairs with her now."

Eight year old Hoss sat down on the coffee table. "Why wouldn't she want to live here at the Ponderosa, Pa? It's beautiful here, and you and Mama and Adam and Joe are here. I can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else."

Ben smiled at his son. "Hoss, can you think of how you would feel if this family, this home, were all you had ever known, and they were suddenly taken away from you?"

Hoss flinched and stared at his father who nodded. "That's what's happened to Mariette. She's going to need a lot of love and understanding. You're the same age, son, so I'm going to look to you to do things with her, to make her feel wanted and welcome here. She's going to be your sister."

Adam objected. "But she isn't our sister."

Ben turned to him. "She may not have been born your sister, Adam, but she'll be raised as your sister, so you might as well think of her that way. Suppose I'd been the one to be gored by that bull, Jake DuPont would be over here to see about you boys and Marie. He'd be treating the three of you like his sons, teaching you how to do things, making sure you were safe, and had enough to eat."

Hoss stared at him wide-eyed. "Would Mama be his new wife?"

Ben chuckled. "He'd watch out for Mama, but she wouldn't be his wife."

"I would take care of our family," Adam said. "We wouldn't need Mr. DuPont."

Ben looked at him. "You've had too much responsibility for a long time, Adam, and there's a lot you can do, but you would need the help and strength of a grown man like Jake." He shook his head. "All this is moot. Jake was killed, not me. Mariette is here, and she's mourning her father. Will the three of you do your best to make her feel welcome and a little less sad?"

"Yes, Pa," Hoss said right away.

Joe nodded his little head, and Adam said, "Sure."

There was a noise on the stairs and they looked up as Marie came down. They all stood as she entered, and she motioned for them to sit as she sank down on the settee. Joe hopped off Ben's lap and went to Marie. He climbed up in her lap and she cuddled him close.

"How's Mariette?" Ben asked. "Is she still asleep?"

"Yes, oh, Ben, she is so very unhappy. I have never seen a child weep as she did on the way home today." Marie looked worried.

"Things have changed for her and not in a good way. The boys and I have been talking about how they will have a sister in Mariette." Ben studied Marie. The day's events had been sad, but she looked unusually tired tonight. He decided to see if Hop Sing had a girl cousin who might like to work at the Ponderosa to help Marie, especially since she had the added responsibility of a sad little girl.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Marie, Adam, and Hoss were eating breakfast when Mariette came downstairs. She was dressed all in black, and she came to the table and stood waiting to be told where to sit. Marie smiled at her. "Bon jour, Mariette. Please sit here between me and Adam." Marie called to Hop Sing. "Hop Sing, Mariette is here. Could you bring her a plate, please?"

Mariette took the chair indicated and sat down. Hop Sing brought her a plate filled with flapjacks, ham, and eggs. Marie filled her glass with milk, and set it in front of her. Mariette put her napkin in her lap and took a sip of milk. Since she seemed settled, Marie decided to describe their schedule. "We eat breakfast every morning, and then we have lessons until dinner. This afternoon you and I will talk and decide about the rest of your schedule. How does that sound?"

"It sounds fine, Mrs. Cartwright." Mariette picked up her fork and took a bite of egg. She put the fork back down and drank the rest of her milk.

Hoss stared at her. "Is that all you're going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Mariette said. "You eat the rest." She pushed her plate over to him and folded her napkin.

Marie moved her plate back in front of her. "My dear, you must eat more than that. You cannot learn on an empty stomach."

Mariette made no move to pick up her fork or napkin. "Thank you, Mrs. Cartwright, but I've had plenty. Father never made me eat."

Marie was quiet. The child would be hungry by dinnertime, and would eat more then.

After breakfast the boys took their plates to the kitchen. Mariette picked up her nearly full plate and followed them. Hop Sing took her plate and stared at it. "Mariette, you should not waste good food."

"It was very good, Mr. Hop Sing, but I'm not hungry. Thank you for making breakfast." She turned and left the kitchen.

What a prim little girl, Hop Sing thought.

Mariette seated herself at the dining table and waited silently until Adam and Hoss were back with their textbooks. Adam had brought down several of his old McGuffey readers, and he put them down in front of Marie.

Marie turned to Hoss first, and spoke in a low voice to him, assigning him a lesson in McGuffey's Second Reader. Adam had opened his arithmetic book and was working on a page of problems. Marie stood, glanced at his work, and came around the table to sit next to Mariette. She picked up McGuffey's First Reader. "I am not sure how much you have been taught since your mother died. If you will read the first lesson to me..."

Mariette took the book from Mariet and read easily, "Here is John. There are Ann and Jane..."

"Thank you, my dear." Marie took the book from her and turned to a lesson farther on. Mariette read it easily again.

"Perhaps you could tell me which book you are using now," Marie suggested.

"Father and I were almost through McGuffey's Second Reader," Mariette told her. "I loved reading with Father. We studied every night." Her tone was resentful - it was clear that she did not want Marie to take her father's place as a teacher.

Hoss and Adam stopped working and looked up at Mariette. Her face was expressionless as she stared at Marie.

Marie said, "I am sure your father was an excellent teacher. It is clear that you read very well. Since your father is no longer here, I shall be your teacher. It is very important that you learn. Since you and Hoss are using the same book, why don't we work on some arithmetic problems until after I hear him read?"

She picked up the North American Arithmetic, and handed it to Mariette. Mariette turned to a place halfway through the book, and Marie handed her Hoss's slate and pencil. Mariette pointed to the section that she and her father had studied last, and began to work on the next lesson.

Halfway through the morning Hop Sing brought them a tray of milk and cookies. Marie poured three glasses of milk and placed them in front of each young student. "Help yourselves to the cookies," she said. Hoss and Adam eagerly reached for Hop Sing's cookies and ate them.

"Mariette, we have a new litter of kittens in the barn. I can take you out to see them if you want," Hoss offered.

"Thank you, Hoss, but we have barn cats at the Lazy R," Mariette told him.

Adam tried next. "I'm supposed to go to town tomorrow afternoon to get supplies. Would you like to ride in with me?"

"Thank you, Adam, but I had better see what Mrs. Cartwright would like me to do tomorrow." Mariette's voice was quiet and formal.

The boys weren't quite sure what to make of her. She'd always been so much fun when they had visited the DuPonts on their ranch.

There was a high thin wail from upstairs, and Marie stood up. Joe was awake and hungry. Before she left, she turned to Adam, "Would you mind checking Mariette's lesson, Adam? I'll be back in a few minutes."

Adam picked up the slate and began looking over the problems. "These answers are all correct, Mariette." The older boy smiled at her. "Do you like arithmetic?"

"Yes, because there can be only one right answer," Mariette said.

"Adam, can you listen to me read before Mama comes back?" Hoss asked. "If my reading is good, she may let us go early." He looked at Mariette. "I have a new pony if you want to see him. His name is Sonny, and I got him for my birthday."

Adam moved over next to Hoss and listened to him read his lesson. He asked him the questions that followed the reading selection, but before he could begin the spelling portion, Marie was back with Joe in her arms.

"There - I was not gone so long, was I, my dears?" She put Joe down on the floor with his blocks and took her seat next to Mariette. Hop Sing came and picked up the almost empty platter of cookies.

"Mariette didn't eat any cookies, Hop Sing," Hoss told the little man.

"Perhaps Mariette does not like sweet things," Hop Sing suggested with a smile.

"I drank my milk," Mariette was defensive.

"Be quiet, Hoss, I am sure Mariette will eat her dinner," Marie said. She smiled at Mariette and received only a blank stare in return. When Marie turned to speak to Hoss, Mariette stuck out her tongue at him and mouthed, "Tattle tail!" Hoss's eyes grew round in surprise, but he didn't say anything to Marie.

Mariette sat quietly while Marie listened to Hoss's reading and spelling lesson. Marie assigned Hoss a page of problems in the arithmetic text, and then sat down with Mariette and handed her the Second Reader. "Show me where you and your father left off, my dear."

Mariette turned towards the end of the book. "We were about to start Lesson 53, 'Mother, What Is Death?'"

A shiver ran down Marie's spine, but she kept a straight face. "Very well, Mariette, you may begin reading."

Mariette began to read aloud, but her voice trembled and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. Marie was about to tell her to stop reading when she threw the book across the room.

"I don't care to learn anymore today, Mrs. Cartwright," Mariette said. She stood up and went up the stairs to her room.

"Adam, watch Joe for me, please." Marie followed Mariette upstairs. The door to her room was closed, and Marie knocked. She could hear Mariette crying, and, when the child didn't answer, she opened the door softly and went in. Mariette was curled in a ball on the floor under the window, her hands over her face. Marie went over and sat on the floor next to her, pulling the child into her lap. "My poor girl," she murmured as she gathered Mariette to her.

"NO!" Mariette screamed, striking out at Marie. "I'm not _your_ girl! I'm not a Cartwright! I am Mariette Catherine DuPont. Jake and Catherine were my parents - not you, not Mr. Cartwright!" She jumped to her feet and ran.

Downstairs Adam and Hoss heard her scream, and they stood up as Mariette came running down the stairs. She tripped on the landing and fell, but she was on her feet again and out the door before they could move.

Joe began to wail, and Adam and Hoss turned in his direction. "Pick Joe up, Hoss," Adam told him, "while I see about Marie." He ran up to Mariette's room, and found Marie picking herself up. Blood dripped from her nose, and Adam caught her arm to steady her.

"She hit you!"

""No, not intentionally. She was flailing her arms a bit and struck out. I'm all right, Adam." Marie patted his hand.

Adam slipped his arm around her waist. "Let me help you to your room, Marie." As he walked her out of Mariette's room, Hop Sing appeared in the hall. He took one look at Marie. "Lie down, Mrs. Cartwright, and I shall bring you a cup of tea and a compress for your face."

"Joe - he is alone?" she asked.

"Hoss is with him," Adam told her. "He'll be all right. Just you rest a bit, and we'll get your nose to stop bleeding. If Joe sees it, it'll scare him and he'll scream louder."

...

It was late afternoon before Ben returned to the house. Everything was quiet, and he took it as a good omen that Mariette was settling in nicely. He opened the door to find Hoss and Joe playing with the old Noah's Ark. Good smells came from the kitchen, and Ben looked around for Marie. "Where's your mother, Hoss?"

"She's upstairs lying down," Hoss told him.

Ben took off his coat, hat, and gun belt, and went up to their room. Marie was lying on the bed, a bloody handkerchief beside her. "My love, are you feeling all right?"

She sat up slowly. "Mariette ran away before dinner. Adam has gone out to look for her." Her cheek was bruised, and Ben drew a breath.

"What the hell happened to your face?" he asked.

Marie caught at his hand. "Mariette was crying, and I tried to pull her close to comfort her. She struck out blindly, Ben - she didn't know what she was doing. You mustn't be angry with the child."

Ben took a turn around the room and then sat down on the edge of the bed next to Marie. He examined her face. "Hop Sing brought me a cup of tea and put a cold compress on my nose and cheek. It will be better by morning." Marie assured him. "What shall we do about Mariette?"

"Sell the Lazy R and send her away to school on the proceeds," Ben suggested. "Someplace far away."

"Ben!" Marie was shocked. "You cannot be serious! The child is suffering. She is mourning her father and she has had to move to a new home. Yes, she is the daughter of friends, but she never expected to have to live here, to leave her home. She and Hoss played together, but -"

Ben interrupted her. "I know, Marie. I wasn't serious about sending her away - at least not yet." He took Marie's hand in his and kissed it. "I'm sorry, darling. I just don't like to see you hurt in any way."

"I know, my husband," Marie caressed his cheek. "But I was very much like her. When my parents died of yellow fever in New Orleans, I was placed in a convent school. I felt very alone and frightened, and I often wanted to run away as Mariette has done. Only there was no place to for me to go."

She looked so forlorn at the memory that Ben scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to a chair. Sitting down with her in his lap, he held her close, and whispered, "Those days are long gone, my love, and your home is here in my heart."


	3. Chapter 3

Adam rode to the Lazy R and found it empty. Since Jake DuPont had been killed a few days before, the ranch's herd had been counted and combined with the Ponderosa's, and the cowhands had moved over to the bunkhouse at the Cartwright's ranch.

He tied his horse, Dealer, to the hitching post and went to the door. He knocked but no one answered. Adam opened the door and went inside. The DuPont's home was smaller than the Cartwright's, but it had always been neat and clean. Now there was dust on the furniture and the clock had run down. Adam walked through the rooms and looked under the beds, but there was no sign of Mariette.

He walked out to the barn. The animals were gone, and the hands hadn't bothered to sweep out the stalls before they left. It smelled of stale dung and straw, and Adam was anxious to leave. He checked each stall, though, as well as the loft before he decided that Mariette wasn't hiding there.

Adam went to the hitching post and stood for a minute, thinking and stroking Dealer's nose. "All right, girl, where would you go if you were eight years old and had run away from home?" He didn't really expect an answer, and he realized how ridiculous his question was. Mariette didn't consider that she'd run away from home. Her home was here, but she'd been told that she was to live at the Ponderosa. Adam wondered how he'd feel to have a new home and family thrust suddenly on him, and he knew where he would go if he ran away from them. He mounted Dealer and headed for the cemetery.

He found her there, lying between her parents' graves. Her face was dirty and tear-streaked. Adam dismounted and ground-tied Dealer before walking over to her. She was very still, and he thought she was asleep until she spoke. "I'm not going back with you. You're not my family. My family is dead. My parents are here, and I'm going to stay here."

Adam sat down beside her. "All right."

"Nothing you can say will make me go with - what?" Mariette suddenly realized what Adam had said, and she sat up and looked at him in surprise. "I can stay here with my parents? You mean it?"

"Sure," Adam nodded. "You can spend the night here." He looked around. "There's plenty of wood. We can set up camp right here, and we'll be just fine."

"You're going to stay with me?" she asked.

"Of course - I can't go off and leave a little girl by herself. Are you hungry?"

"Ye - no! Well, maybe a little," she admitted.

"I've got some jerky in my saddle bag - let me get it." Adam stood up and walked over to Dealer. He took a couple of strips of beef jerky out of his saddle bag and grabbed his canteen. He sat down next to Mariette and handed her a strip. "Here, chew on this, and then drink some water. It'll fill you right up."

Mariette began to chew on the jerky. It was tough and salty, but she was hungry. She took a sip of water and Adam asked, "How is it?"

She remembered her manners, and said, "It's delicious - it's the best jerky I've ever tasted."

Adam hid a grin. "Yeah, it's pretty good. Pa and me made it last year. Of course, it isn't as good as Hop Sing's cookies or flapjacks, but you don't like those things anyway, do you?"

Mariette looked up at him to see if he was laughing at her. She couldn't see a smile on his face, and she decided he was serious. There was a howl from the woods behind her, and Mariette looked over her shoulder.

Adam reassured her. "That's just a little old coyote."

"Are they very mean?" Mariette asked. She'd always been inside by this time of day, and the walls at her house were solid enough to keep out wild animals and cold winds. Her father had told her she would always be safe there.

"Coyotes? No, they're too little to be very mean. Wolves are what you want to watch out for." Adam stood up and went over to his saddle.

"Where are you going?" Mariette asked.

"Just to get my blanket. It's going to be cold tonight, and I want to sleep nice and warm." He took the blanket from the back of his saddle, and, wrapping it around his shoulders, sat back down beside her.

Mariette stole a look at him. He looked big and strong to her, and she wondered if he'd let her share his blanket. She was small and couldn't possibly take up much room. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun would be going down soon, and the nights were cold.

"Is Mrs. Cartwright mad at me?" she asked.

Adam thought for a minute. "No, I think she's hurt, though. She was just trying to make you feel better, and you pushed her away. Did you know you hit her in the face and made her nose bleed?"

Mariette's eyes were huge. "No! I didn't mean to hurt her that way - I just wanted to leave. Everything's so different at your house. I didn't mind visiting the Ponderosa with Father. It was fun playing with Hoss, but I always knew I could home. And now - now I can't - things are so different ." Her voice trembled and she looked down at the ground.

Adam's voice was soft when he answered her. "Yeah, I guess they are. I know how I felt when Hoss's Mama died. I was lonesome for her even though I had Pa and Hoss - he was just a baby and he took a lot of care. Then Pa went to New Orleans to sell his furs and came home with a new wife. It was hard for me to get used to Marie, but she was real nice. She told Pa that Hoss and I should have lessons every morning and some time to play every afternoon. Since she's been here, I haven't had to work so hard or so much, and I've learned a lot from her. She's a good teacher, Mariette, and a good mother."

"Well, she can't take Mother's place!" Mariette was firm.

"She doesn't want to take your mother's place," Adam spoke calmly, "but she can love you just the same and teach you just the same as your mother would if she were still here. She'd just be your Mama. And Pa, he doesn't want to take your father's place, but he can protect you and take care of you same as your father would if he were still here."

"I had a baby brother, but he died with Mother," Mariette said.

"I'm sorry," Adam was sympathetic, "but we've got a baby at our house - Joe. He's just two, but he gets into everything and he takes a lot of looking after. And at our house you'd have an older brother - me, and I'd watch out for you same as I do for Hoss and Joe. And you and Hoss have always been playmates. You'd have someone just your age to play with all the time instead of just on visits and at church."

Mariette thought about what Adam was saying. "Are you watching out for me now like you would if you were my big brother, Adam?"

Adam nodded. "I sure am - just like I would if you were Hoss or Joe."

Mariette scooted close to him. "Do you think your parents are real mad at me for running away?"

Adam put his arm around her. "I think they're real worried about you. Mariette, just as they would be if you were their own blood daughter."

Mariette thought for a minute and shivered.

"Are you cold, Mari?" Adam asked. He pulled her closer and wrapped some of the blanket around her.

"Yes." She realized what he'd called her. "Why did you call me 'Mari'?"

"Well, Mariette is a long name for a little girl," Adam explained, "and, besides, I like the name, Mari. You know Hoss's real name is Eric, but we all call him Hoss."

Mariette sat and thought about this for a few minutes. Nicknames in families were fine. She'd heard them before, and the name, Mari, was pretty - almost as pretty as Mariette. "Do you think I could go back ho - to the Ponderosa with you?" she asked.

"Yes, we might even get there in time for supper. Of course, you don't eat much and you've already had that delicious beef jerky." Adam said.

Mariette nodded. "Well, I wouldn't want to hurt Hop Sing's feelings or waste food. He wasn't too happy when I didn't eat much breakfast this morning."

"No," Adam agreed. "Hop Sing doesn't like it when you don't eat. He thinks it's because you don't like his cooking."

"His cooking is delicious," the little girl said. "I mean, I didn't eat much today, but I've had his cookies when Hoss brought them to share at church, and they were always very good."

"You need to let him know that, then." Adam told her. "Ready to go?" Adam stood and helped Mariette up. He wrapped the blanket around her, and they walked over to Dealer. He untied the big horse, and lifted Mariette up to sit in front of him in the saddle. He climbed up behind her, and she leaned back against him. He was big and warm, and she thought she was going to enjoy having a big brother.

As they rode home, Adam began to sing and Mariette joined in. When they came into the yard, Ben was leading Buck out of the barn. He looked relieved when he saw them. "Well, here are our two wanderers," he said. "Your mother's been worried to death about the two of you. I was just setting off to look for you."

Adam handed Mariette down to Ben. "We just needed to talk," he said.

"And sing," added Mariette.

"That's right," said Adam. He watched as Mariette wrapped her arms around Ben's neck.

"Adam said you didn't want to take Father's place, you just wanted to take care of me like he would if he were still here," she said.

"That's right, darling," Ben said. Mariette hugged him.

"Do I have to call you Mr. Cartwright? May I call you Papa instead?" she whispered in his ear.

Ben held her close as he carried her into the house. "I think it would be fine if you called me Papa."

He set her down and unwrapped the blanket. Marie was sitting in her rocking chair with Joe in her lap. She handed the baby to Hoss and stood up, opening her arms to Mariette. "Ma cherie, I've been so worried about you."

There was a second's hesitation, and then Mariette ran into her arms and hugged her waist. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Cartwright. Adam said I hit you in the face, and I didn't mean to."

Marie knelt down and held her away from her so she could look into the little girl's eyes. "I know, ma petite, you were upset and wanted to get away just then." She pulled Mariette back into a hug.

"Papa said I could call him Papa instead of Mr. Cartwright. May I call you Mama instead of Mrs. Cartwright?" Mariette whispered to Marie.

"Of course, my precious one." She held Mariette tight for another minute and then released her. "What a dirty little face I see! Come upstairs with me and we shall wash it clean." Marie took Mariette by the hand and led her upstairs. When they came back down a little later, Mariette's face was bright and clean.

Hop Sing came into the great room and announced, "Supper is ready." Hoss stood at his place as Ben held Marie's chair and Adam held Mariette's. When they were seated, Ben, Hoss, and Adam sat down and Hop Sing brought in a bowl of chicken and dumplings followed by vegetables. Ben put very small portions on Mariette's plate and passed it to her.

Hoss watched carefully. "Is that all she gets, Pa?"

"She can have more if she wants it, Hoss," Ben told him.

Mariette cleaned her plate quickly, and looked up at Ben. He was talking to Marie, and didn't notice that her plate was empty.

Adam saw that she'd eaten everything on her plate, and asked her in a low voice, "Would you like more to eat, Mari?"

"Yes, please," she said.

"All right," Adam picked up her plate and offered it to Ben. "Pa, Mari would like more chicken and dumplings, please."

Ben took the plate and put another spoonful of chicken and dumplings on it. "May I serve you more green beans, Mariette? Mari, is it?" he asked Adam.

"Yes, please, Papa," said Mariette as Adam answered his father. "Mariette is such a mouthful. Besides, she may grow into Mariette, but right now she's little and Mari suits her better."

Ben put a spoonful of beans on her plate, and passed it to Adam who put it in front of her.

"Do you agree with Adam about your name, Mariette?" Ben asked.

The little girl looked up at Adam, her big brother. He nodded and winked at her.

"Yes, Papa," she said, and took a bite of chicken.

When supper was over, Mariette carried her plate into the kitchen and handed it to Hop Sing. "Thank you for my supper, Mr. Hop Sing. It was delicious."

Hop Sing looked down at the child and smiled. "I see Mariette has discovered her appetite."

"Yes, well, Adam said I hurt your feelings when I didn't eat your food and you said I shouldn't waste food, so I ate everything I was served tonight."

"Did you have enough to eat, little one?" Hop Sing asked.

"Yes, and if you make cookies tomorrow, I'm going to eat one."

Hop Sing put his finger to his lips. "Don't tell Hoss, but I saved a cookie for you." He took a cookie from a big jar on the counter and handed it to her.

Mariette giggled, took a bite, and pranced out of the kitchen.

That evening, after Ben read a chapter from the big family Bible, he looked around the great room. Hoss was sitting on the floor, leaning against his legs. Mariette - Mari - was sharing Adam's chair, leaning against him with his arm around her, and Marie was in her rocking chair with Joe in her lap. He nodded to Marie, and they all knelt and bowed their heads as Marie led their evening prayer, "Oh Lord, we pray you to visit this home and drive from it all snares of the enemy. Let Your holy angels dwell in it to preserve us in peace; and let Your blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Devotions done, the family sat quietly. It had been a difficult day, Marie thought, but it was ending happily. Mari would continue to mourn her father, but now she knew that she wasn't alone. She had a family to love and help her. She might not have been born a Cartwright, but she would become one over time.


End file.
